How to Write a Statement of
Teaching Philosophy
A practical workshop on what a
teaching philosophy is and how
to get started
Dr. Heather Doherty, PhD
Leder Human Biology Program
Curriculum Fellow
Today we are going to go through a series of activities with the goal of every
person leaving this classroom with a starter kit for writing their own teaching
philosophy. Does everyone have a packet? Okay, let’s get started.
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Outline
1. Audience and Goals
2. Teaching Experience
3. Teaching Style
4. Teaching Values
5. Anatomy and Construction
6. Tips and Resources
Before you write, you need to know your audience and define the purpose of a
teaching philosophy. Then you need the content: your teaching experience,
your teaching style, and what you value in teaching. Once you have the parts, I
will show you how to put it together. We will finish with some tips and further
resources to consult as you write.
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Who asks for a teaching
philosophy?
~33% of job ads for faculty
• ~60% will request it during the hiring process
• Others want it but won’t request it
– “…those who are truly interested in teaching will submit a
statement of teaching philosophy without being asked to do so;
therefore, we never asked for is specifically.”
• More commonly requested by:
– BS/MS colleges
– Candidates in the natural sciences
• Establish your and their commitment to teaching
Deborah Meizlish and Matthew Kaplan. “Valuing and Evaluating Teaching in Academic Hiring: A Multidisciplinary, CrossInstitutional Study.” The Journal of Higher Education - Volume 79, Number 5, September/October 2008, pp. 489-512.
Meizlish and Kaplan as well as others have done research on what type and
what percentage of faculty job ads ask for a teaching philosophy. After looking
about 500 ads, they found about 33% ask for a teaching philosophy to be part of
the initial application package. Around another 30% to bring it to 60% total will
ask for a teaching philosophy at some point during the hiring process. More
importantly, there are other employers that won’t ask for it even though they
expect it as this quote illustrates. In general, teaching philosophies are most
often requested by schools who have an emphasis on training at the Bachelors
and Masters degree level, which is not surprising as teaching is often a larger
emphasis and a larger part of faculty efforts at these institutions. In addition,
candidates in the natural sciences are more often asked for a teaching
philosophy. This request at first seems a little surprising, but mostly has to do
with the fact that the average graduate student or post-doc may not have a lot of
teaching experience. A teaching philosophy lets the hiring institution know that
you value teaching and have thought about it. The institution asking for the
teaching philosophy lets you know what they value teaching.
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What does a teaching philosophy
contain?
• Offers evidence of practice
• Conveys self-reflection
• Communicates teaching style
• Communicates teaching values
• Sample of effective writing
O'Neal, Chris, Deborah Meizlish, and Matthew Kaplan. "Writing a Teaching Philosophy for the Academic Job Search."
CRLT Occasional Papers. No. 23. University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. 2007.
Now that we know our audience, what do they want to see in the document.
Research has also been done on this subject. I adapted this list of goals from
research by O’Neal et al. As I mentioned before the written teach philosophy
offers evidence of your teaching practice and conveys that not only have you
taught but you have thought some about how you have done it and how you
would like to do it in the future. It is an opportunity to communicate both your
style and your values. Lastly, it is a sample of your hopefully effective writing.
Positions in the liberal arts often ask for a separate writing sample on the basis
that teachers in those subjects are often teaching writing. While professors in
the sciences rarely teach writing, those hiring faculty want to know you have
effective written communication skills. We have established our audience and
our purpose, let’s think about each content topic individually.
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Teaching Experience
We will start with the most concrete part: teaching experience. Having an idea
of what teaching experience you have is the first step to writing a teaching
philosophy. You may not use every experience as an example but each
experience may have shaped you and your thoughts about teaching.
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What counts as a teaching
experience?
Some examples or teaching experience: teaching a class, being a TA or TF,
mentoring a elementary or high school student, teaching Sunday school class,
working with the elderly, teaching an art or dance class, instructing or coaching a
sport. Use the space on the worksheet to brainstorm some examples of your
teaching experience. Be sure to think broadly and not just focus on what is on
your resume or CV. Other examples from the class: parenting, community
outreach, teaching high school classes, one-on-one lab mentoring, tutoring, and
giving guest lectures.
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Teaching Style
Your style is not only what you do, but how
you do it.
Style can be an esoteric concept but it is about the methods we use to achieve
our goals in the classroom and why it is we do things the way we do.
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What are your likes and dislikes in
the classroom?
1. What HAS worked for you as a:
•
•
Student?
Teacher?
2. What has NOT worked for you as a:
•
•
Student?
Teacher?
To start to understand our style we need to know what we like and dislike. On
your worksheet start to brainstorm some of your likes and dislikes in the
classroom both as a student and as a teacher. In particular, ask yourself the
question: ”What has and has not worked for me in the past?” Some ideas from
the audience: be excited about the material, engage your students, don’t just
rehash the book, and use hands on activities.
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“Lecture”
One of my favorite and least favorite methods in the classroom is lecture. In my
first teaching experience as an undergraduate I helped teach lab sections to
freshman undergraduates and as many large lab courses do, there was an
overflow of material to cover. So we were asked to make sure certain material
was covered in lab section. As I considered how I might accomplish this, I
figured I would just do 20 minute mini-lectures during lab time. Most all the
classes I had taken so far were in the lecture format, so I figured if that method
had worked for me I should use the same method to deliver the assigned
content. Later, in graduate school, I had some really awful lecturers and I
started to think critically about what is the best way to convey information to
students. Let’s think about lecturers and lecturing and consider what their goals
might be in the classroom and what are the pluses and minuses to using the
lecture method. Ideas from the audience: goal is to convey information, should
keep it simple but not too simple, make time for questions, contextualize
materials, and have a cohesive narrative.
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What are your goals in the
classroom?
I would like my students to learn or be able
to do:
1.
2.
Now, think about what your goals are in the classroom. Start by finishing the
sentence: “I would like my students to learn ______ or be able to ________
when they leave the classroom.” For example, “I would like my student to learn
to participate in class.” Try to write down at least two examples and then keep
them in mind for the next activity.
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What are your methods in the
classroom?
I learn best or I think my students learn best when:
1.
2.
Next, think about what methods you use in the classroom to achieve your goals.
Glance at your goals then finish the sentence, “I learn best when _______ or I
think my students learn best when _______.” For example, “I think my students
learn best when I use computers as a tool in the classroom.” Try to write at
least two examples. Then, try to match one of your goals from the last activity
with one of your methods from this activity. Try different combinations. Can you
make any pairs? Examples from the audience: “Goal: bring the real world into
the classroom; Method: used real-world examples to contextualize knowledge.
Goal: have students actively learning, Method: use hands-on activities”
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Teaching Values
As scientists we are told to check our values
and feelings at the door in order to focus on
the objective facts
Values are the hardest portion of the teaching philosophy to grasp. By
definition, they are asking for your philosophy, and whether you are aware of it
or not, that is based on your values. As scientists we are asked to put our
values aside and be objective. This is not to say we don’t have values, just that
we don’t spend a lot of time thinking about them. I am going to ask you to give
your logical brain, the frontal lobe, a rest for a few minutes and get in touch with
your hippocampus, your feeling and emotions.
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Afterschool science program in an
economically disadvantaged middle school
To start this process I am going to tell you a story about how I started to figure
out my teaching values. As a second year graduate student I became involved
with a group that did K-12 student outreach. My assignment was to teach
afterschool science enrichment in an economically disadvantaged middle
school. With no budget, no support, and no set curriculum, I was being asked to
teach physics, chemistry, and biology to middle schoolers. The exciting and
slightly horrifying reality was, what I did in the classroom was completely up to
me. As I grappled with this dilemma, the first idea that came to mind is I wanted
the students to do hands-on activities. More than likely, they had sat in class
sitting still all day and could probably enjoy some physical activity. The other
idea that came to me is I wanted these activities to involve discovery. In labs as
graduate students and post-docs we discover things, whereas middle school
students sometimes glue cotton balls on paper to make clouds and it’s called
science. I was not aware of it at the time, but it was pointed out to me later that
this immediate emotional response was an expression of my values. First, I
understood that students learn the most when they are doing something (handson) and I valued the students time and wanted to make sure they got something
out of what I was doing (that it wasn’t just busy work). Second, I understood the
joy of discovery and I valued the student’s enjoyment. As a activity to get us all
thinking about values…
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How do would you describe
yourself as a teacher?
My role in the classroom could best be described as:
1.
2.
3.
What does that say about your values?
Let’s think about who we are as teachers. Try to complete the sentence: “My
role in the classroom could best be described as _______.” For example, do
you see yourself as a coach, an entertainer, or a drill sergeant. We all wear
multiple hats in the classroom so try to come up with a few nouns or adjectives
and write them on your worksheet. Next, look over all the materials you have so
written so far and ask yourself the question, “What are my values or what do I
value as a teacher?” For example someone who is a coach in the classroom
values independent learning, students are doing most of the work while they
help referee the learning process. Someone who is an entertainer might value
humor in the classroom and being sure that the material presented is not dry. A
drill sergeant might value repetition, learning math in particular can benefit from
presenting materials in multiple ways. Another example is teaching to students
at the academic level where they are (not where you expect them to be). The
relevant value there might be compassion or valuing each student as an
individual. On your worksheet, next to the nouns or adjectives you used to
describe yourself, your goals, or your methods, try to write a value that might be
motivating you or that might be illustrated by that example. Understanding your
values is the hardest part of this process so take some time to reflect on how
you feel and to understand your motivations. Also consider taking time to
discuss your thoughts with a friend or mentor.
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Construction of a Teaching
Philosophy
With the experiences, style and values in front of you on your handout, the next
step is to put the parts together.
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A + B and sprinkle with C
1. Match experiences from part A with values
from part B
2. Use terms and ideas from part C
3. Recurrent themes
4. Pick 3 favorite pairs
5. Outline
6. Write
Constructing your teaching philosophy is as simple as matching your
experiences in A on your handout with your values in part B on the handout and
then adding in the terms and ideas from your goals and methods in part C. Try
various combinations and look for recurrent themes. Pay attention to the
recurrent themes because they will help you understand what is important to you
and help you develop your narrative. Pick 3 favorite pairs and try to relate them
to specific events where you can tell a story. Try to write an outline for each pair
and develop a narrative around them. Once your outline is fleshed out, put pen
to paper and write a first draft.
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Get Feedback
On:
• Writing style
• Grammar & Spelling
• Use of terminology
• Clarity
From:
• Colleagues in lab
• Trusted friend or mentor
Once you have a draft in hand, be sure to get feedback. Make sure you use first
person narrative style and don’t have any grammar or spelling mistakes. When
you use terminology, always use and example so it is clear you know what your
talking about and your reader is not confused or inundated with buzz words.
Ask whoever reads your philosophy to tell you what they think you are trying to
say. If it is different from what you are trying to say, be sure to make
appropriate revisions. People to consider consulting for feedback include
colleagues in your lab such as fellow graduate students and post-docs. Also ask
a friend or a mentor. If your PI does not do much teaching ask a committee
member or favorite professor who does teach to look it over.
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Expert Tips &
Additional Resources
Now take your teaching philosophy from good the great.
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Customize your teaching philosophy
Mission Statements & Job Descriptions
• Keywords
• Core Values
Have multiple versions
• Add/Remove paragraphs
• Address important issues
A teach philosophy is not a one-size-fits-all document. As your move through
your career you will need to often update this document for tenure packages or
applying to new jobs. The best way to customize it is to look at the mission
statement for the institution you are applying to and see what their core values
are. If they mention small class size or hands-on learning and that is also
important to you, be sure to include it in your document. Also look closely at the
job description. When I applied to my current curriculum fellow position at
Harvard I know I would mostly be working with graduate students, so there
would not be any situations when I would be teaching lab sections. I had a
whole section of my teaching philosophy that was about hands-on learning in
undergraduate lab sections, but I took out. By removing this one paragraph, it
gave me space to address other topics more relevant to this position. Just be
sure as you go through the process of adding and removing paragraphs that you
edit your transitions and keep the continuity of the narrative.
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Secrets to Success
1. Spend time with the literature
2. Use terminology but always explain it
3. Cite references
4. Be humble but confident
5. Teaching is about students
6. Be yourself!
Lastly, as you start to write keep these thoughts in your mind. It is worthwhile
spending some time reading the literature. There are many great overview
books about teaching that are available, check out amazon. Also look in the
Chronicle of Higher Education online magazine, the journal Science has a
regular science education portion, and seek out seminars and other educational
opportunities. Use the terminology you find but always give an example of what
you mean. Also make reference to where your ideas have come from; it does
not have to be a formal citation. You never know who might be reading this
document. Be confident in what you say, don’t qualify every sentence. But also
be humble, you nor your teaching are perfect and no one likes a bragger. Make
sure to mention students in your philosophy. Teaching is about the students
and their learning, so make sure that is clear. This is YOUR teaching
philosophy so be inspired by others but be sure to be yourself! Consult your
packet for a check list of items to go over with your teaching philosophy and also
a list of things you might consider including. A list of my sources, which you
might also want to consult, are in the packet as well.
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A teaching philosophy is not a summary of
your CV, nor is it an article on pedagogy. It is
an expression of your experiences, your
values, and your pedagogical methods.
Questions ?
Here is a few sentences to inspire you and to keep in mind as you write.
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